Coolness isn't always what we want
by majmu
Summary: It's a hot day in Magnolia, but something seems to be wrong with Gray. He's supposed to be suffering from the heat, but for some reason his body is reacting to the hotness by cooling itself - way too much. He's actually freezing during the heat wave. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

First story I write in english, don't judge too harshly T_T The rating may go higher, but we'll see that later ^^

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It was a weird feeling – the whole guild was hot as hell, but still Gray felt like he was inside of a freezer. At first it felt rather normal because he was used to being colder than the enviroment, but when the air temperature rose his body's own was only getting lower. For the first time in many years he was almost shaking because of the freezing breeze inside of him.

Nobody noticed Gray's feelings from the outside, obviously. Everybody was just way too busy lying lazily on their own places and drinking ice cool water or suds, which was not cooled with this ice mage's powers. Mira probably had somehow managed to keep some of the drinks cold, but how, Gray was too concentrated on other things to think about that.

''Cool water?'' a gentle voice offered.

Gray rose his head and smiled a little at Mirajane, who was already offering a glass to him.

''Thanks, but I think I don't really need that'', he said and placed his chin to lean to the wooden surface of the table. It was neither cool nor hot, and that made Gray feel a bit annoyed.

Mira looked suprised by his refusal, but that went unnoticed by the ice mage who just let out a sigh and kept staring into the emptiness.

'God, did he get heatstroke or something? He doesn't look so good...' the woman wondered and put her hand on top of Gray's forehead. Freezing feeling ran at that instant trough her hand and she yelled, mostly because of the suprise and not because Gray had hurt her badly or something.

The ice mage immediatly returned to his senses and bolted backwards eyes large, but lose his balance and feel to the floor with a loud thump.

''Mira, are you okay?'' he asked quickly, and tried to get up but was stopped by a large arm, which grapped his shirt and immediatly raised him off the floor. Elfman looked like he was ready to crush Gray for hurting his sister, but before Gray could even think of freezing some part of his attacker's body, Mira's yell was heard by everybody now inside of the guild house:

''He did nothing! He didn't hurt me, calm down!''

After a moment of staring at Gray, Elfman let go of him and sat back to his seat. Gray fell to his feets and inhaled deeply before letting the air get out of his lungs.

''I'm fine, but are you okay? I think I felt-'' Mira started to speak worriedly, but Gray stopped her calmly.

''Sorry, I acted too hastily. I guess I kinda startled and reacted by my instincts'', he said and scrached the back of his head awkwardly. Mira was quiet for a moment before she smiled back at Gray.

''I should have warned you before I did anything, you just looked like you were sick or something'', she said apologetically.

''It's just this weather.''

''I guess so...''

Silence was between them for a moment, until Gray then started to make his way to the front door. Few guild members asked if he was okay and Elfman apologied for earlier, but Gray just nodded for all of them and tried to keep the twitching smile on his face.

When he finally got to the door and was about to step outside, somebody else opened the door in front of him and so he bumped into that somebody.

''Step aside Natsu!'' Gray snarled when recognized the person in front of him. The young dragon slayer looked a bit taken aback by Gray's behaviour which was a lot more agressive than usual. He didn't move however, so the ice mage just pushed him aside and walked under the hot sun, still miraculously wearing all of his clothes.

''What's wrong with him today?'' Natsu asked as he walked to the bar and sat down. Mira gave him some water and said:

''I really don't know, he accidentally almost freezed my arm when I touched his forehead to test if he had fever or something-''

''So he DID hurt you?'' Elfman's roar was loud and Mira laughed a little at him.

''No he didn't, I said _almost'_', she chuckled and turned her attention back to Natsu, who was now joined by Happy too. The poor cat was exhausted and most likely it dragged itself the last meters to reach the fire mage, who was drinking his water slowly. Mira gave the blue cat some cool milk, and Happy was more than happy to drink it all at once to cool itself down.

''So, how did the job go?'' she then asked curiously, sitting down too. She took a sip from her own glass and smiled a little when the more characteristic aura returned around Natsu.

''It was a piece of cake! I needed only to get rid of few boars and they paid me 10 000 jewels for that! But I guess they gave me a bit bonus because I fixed them roasted meat for a couple days...'' the fire mage said happily. Mira could only smile for the other's silliness.

''Normally you get more of those jewels'', she pointed out. Natsu sneered silently.

''Yeah, but now it's way too hot to do anything that makes you sweat'', he just snickered.

''Strange thing to be heard from your mouth, you're a fire mage for god's sake!'' Mira laughed. Natsu too started to snicker more loudly, and they both didn't seem to fit in the crowd.

Everybody else were almost panting from the heat, and too lazy to get up from their seats. But these two were laughing and having a conversation just like in normal days.

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I guess I will put this in here in rather small pieces, I'm kinda slow writer ^^' But tell me what you think of it!


	2. Chapter 2

Yay, thanks for the reviews! ^^

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''Come Happy, time to go home!''

''Aye!''

''G'night Natsu!''

''See ya tomorrow!''

''Yeah!''

''Oi, Natsu!''

''Hm?'' He was just going to step outside when Mira's voice stopped him.

''Would you go and check on Gray to see if he's okay?'' the woman said sounding a bit worried. Natsu needed only a moment to come up with an answer. He nodded to Mira.

''I will!''

The door closed behind him after he walked out. There was pretty dark, but the streetlights illuminated some light on the surface of the road. There was no people – everybody seemed to be inside of their houses even though this was the only time of day when it was bearable to be outside.

'Dumb people', Natsu thought while walking down the street. Well, it was pretty late so people were inside propably because of that.

''Naaaaaatsuuuuuu, I'm tired'', Happy complained. Natsu patted its head and smiled.

''You can go straight home if you want to, but I promised to Mira that I would go to check on Gray.''

Happy's inner fight lasted at least two second before it mumbled ''aye'' and flew to a different direction. Natsu sighed, he would've hoped that the cat would keep him company.

When finally standing before the door of Gray's apartment Natsu knocked the wood yawning at the same time. He was sure that Gray would be angry being woken up at night by Natsu, but it was too late to back away now.

To Natsu's suprise the door opened rather quickly and there stood Gray – completely wrapped inside of blankets. He looked grumby but not agressive, which was a good sign.

''Hi, I was asked to check if you were still alive, and I guess you are even though to me you look more like a mummy...''

Gray let out a grunt but keeped his mouth shut. He wrapped the blankets more tightly around himself and looked really tired. Natsu frowned and stepped one step closer.

''But you do not look like you're completely alive... are you okay?'' he asked curiously. Gray shrugged and coughed into his blankets to Natsu's suprise. Had the ice mage caught a cold? That would be ironic and weird as hell.

''Can I come in?'' he then asked suprising himself too. Gray just stepped aside, giving the other space to come in. And Natsu had been sure that he would never get inside of that house, at least if he didn't want to go in like he did to Lucy's house... and _that_ would never happen!

Natsu stepped inside and waited for the ice mage to shut the door. He then took his shoes off and walked behind Gray to the livingroom. The couch was full of blankets and pillows, making Natsu to wonder if Gray seriously had caught a cold – how absurd was that?

''Can you speak or have you become mute?'' Natsu asked boldly. Gray shot daggers from his eyes towards Natsu before answering:

''I'd rather not.''

A small puff of steam escaped from his mouth and Natsu forgot to shut his own. Gray's body temperature had always been lower than normal person's, but this?

''Whoa, I never knew you could be so cold'', Natsu said eyes large, and didn't even realize the double meaning behind those words. Gray shivered a little.

''Me neither'', he muttered.

''Can you feel the coolness? Why are you freezing in this heat? You're supposed to melt or something like that because of the hotness, but-'' Natsu started to gabble, but was stopped by Gray's annoyed voice:

''Yes I can feel it, and I have no idea. Really Natsu, I am a human and not some ice cube, humans don't melt.''

''Yeah you're right, they roast...''

''What?''

''Well human body isn't really made of materials which would melt, because meat obviously isn't gonna-''

''Yeah, yeah, I got it! just shut up.''

Silence was between them for a moment.

''I really think I'm not capable-'' Natsu started, just to be interrupted by Gray again:

''Geez, would you shut up or not?''

''Hey I'm offering my help here!''

''It sure doesn't seem like it...''

''Do you wanna start a fight or something?'' Natsu yelled looking ready to start it at any moment.

Gray gritted his teeth in frustration.

''Actually...'', he started in even sound, ''no.''

''Okay then-! Wait what?'' Natsu said stumbling in his words.

''You heard me, I don't want to fight with you'', Gray said sounding irritated. The steam was still flowing from his mouth every time he opened it.

''So... you accept my help?'' the dragon mage asked testing the other a little bit. Gray sighed.

''I don't think you can help me in any way... but I guess I will. I really don't care for telling anyone else about this...'' he mumbled and sat on the couch. Natsu sat on the floor because he didn't really want to sit next to the irritated ice mage.

''For how long?'' he asked. Gray rolled his eyes.

''Are you my doctor or something?'' he rasped from his dry throat.

''Hey, I thought you accepted my help?''

''Mh, it started to get bad today when the heat was at its worst, but I guess it has been from the beginning of the week'', Gray muttered gazing at the floor. Natsu didn't actually do anything with this information, but he didn't know what else to ask to help his friend.

''Okay... Do you have anything to keep you warm? Because obviously those blankets don't help if your body doesn't make its own heat...'' he pointed out, without looking at Gray's face. He wasn't sure if the ice mage had tought of that at all...


	3. Chapter 3

I'm so sorry! =W= This is short but writing in English is so slooooow for me, but I'm now on holiday! So if I get more of these wonderful reviews and alerts and favorites I may write/upload this faster! And sorry if there is some annoying spelling mistakes/typos, but I'm horrible at betaing my own texts _'

But now after all the blablabla, you may proceed to read :

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Gray felt like an idiot. Why come he hadn't thought of a thing which was so obvious to Natsu?

''Ummm... I guess I've never needed anything to keep me warm...'' he said hesitating. ''Of course there are the cooking devices but I doubt they would help in any way'', he continued and shrugged slightly.

''Yeah, I don't think that the stove is much of a help, unless you like hot chocolate?'' Natsu suggested and earned a cold look from the other.

''I don't have anything to make it'', Gray confessed wryly. Natsu blinked a few times working with this piece of knowledge he now got.

''So... You don't have even milk in here?'' he questioned not quite believing what he heard. Gray just shrugged and yawned. Natsu frowned.

''You look tired.''

''No shit, it's like trying to sleep inside of a freezer'', tha ice mage grumbled. Natsu just snickered and earned another angry look from Gray.

''Sorry, this is just way too unbelievable, and in its own way, funny.''

''This isn't funny at all you fire breathing piece of-''

''I said sorry!'' Natsu waved his hands in the air and didn't look satisfied when Gray just moved his head so he didn't need to look at the energetic dragon slayer anymore.

''Don't freeze my hand.''

Gray lifted his head just to see the other's hand closing the gab between it and his forehead, and only thing he was able to say was ''stop!'' before Natsu pulled his hand away with a loud yell.

''I said don't!'' he whined and breathed some hot air to the frost bitten skin.

''And I said stop!'' Gray said being again a bit put off by the fact that he couldn't even stop his magic from hurting everyone he touched.

Silence was between them for a moment, before Natsu finally stopped licking his hand and seemed to get his spirit back.

''Okay, round two'', he declaired.

''What are you talking about?'' Gray asked a bit annoyed.

''This.''

Hot fire ball formed around Natsu's palm and got Gray to jump back.

''Are you nuts? Put it away!'' he yelled and dropped the blankets from around him to the floor. It would be quite a mess if they would catch a fire. Luckily he was still fully dressed. However Natsu didn't do as the other said, and just kept coming right towards him.

''Seriously Natsu, stop it'', Gray tried and backed until his spine hit the wall behind him. Natsu put his unflamed hand to lean to the wall next to Gray's head and slowly brought the flames closer to the ice mage's arm.

''I swear I'll-!'' Gray started to murmur between his teeth when the flames touched his nose.

Nothing happened.

''Ha! I knew it!'' Natsu stated enthusiastically, before he let the flames to fade and stepped back. Gray was still leaning to the wall, eyes widened in suprise.

''It... didn't burn...'' Gray frowned. It was nice that he didn't burn, but now that he thought about it, it was actually a bad sign. _Very _bad sign.

''Shit!'' Gray threw his hands to cover his face and accidentally knocked his head to the wall.

''Hey, what's the matter?''

Natsu didn't get it. He didn't get it at all.

''It just felt a bit warm! I could go and _live_ in an oven and still I would feel like I was freezing! This is bad...'' Gray sighed and walked past Natsu just to slump on the sofa. A silent moan escaped from his mouth, before he quited down for a moment.

''Natsu, go home.''

''But I just c-''

''Go! Or I'll put you inside of an ice cube and say to the mailman to take you there in the morning'', Gray hissed angrily, not bothering to raise his face from the pillows.

Natsu didn't want to leave, but if the other was so against him staying he wouldn't have a choise. And that was crappy.

''Okay, but I'll come again tomorrow'', Natsu declaired before shutting the door behind him. Gray cursed and shouted after Natsu:

''Don't bother! I'm not at home tomorrow!''


End file.
